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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: field · pass · degree · fine · hide · rock · ruler · mate

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. degree — from a university
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mate — a friend
  5. pass — a permit
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. field — a subject
  8. rock — music
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. fine — all right
  15. mate — to breed
  16. degree — temperature
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mate — a partner
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. field — farmland
  21. fine — high quality
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. field — for sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com